Infrastructure

The government on Tuesday said it is in the process of developing 12 major ports in the country, which it expects will contribute about two per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP), along with the highways sector.

Railway finances are in "deep trouble", according to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu who observed on Saturday that the government behemoth has been caught in a "vicious circle" of poor investments compromising its services.

Hike in passenger train fares, particularly in suburban service, and increase in the minimum distance to be covered in passenger and express trains have been recommended by an official committee in its report submitted to Railways.

The proposed merger of Holcim and Lafarge in India is well on track, though the future structure will be decided upon getting approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Swiss cement major Holcim said on Wednesday.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased rules for long-term loans by lenders to the infrastructure sector and heavy industry, allowing for easier refinancing and more flexible restructuring as part of widely expected measures.

Infrastructure projects worth Rs 5 lakh crore can be taken up in the next five years, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday as the NDA government moves to tackle land and environment clearance issues that have stymied such ventures.

A new civil aviation policy is under preparation of the government, a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was told on Wednesday amid his thrust on inter-linking connectivity-related infrastructure sectors.

IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Ltd said here on Monday that it has received a contract worth Rs 1,232 crore from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to four-lane the Patna-Gaya-Dobhi section of NH-83 in Bihar.